Shomari Figures

Voters in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district today will pick the Republican nominee for the southeast Alabama seat, which the GOP hopes to recapture thanks to a favorable new map approved by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Six candidates are running in the special primary, including state Rep. Rhett Marques of Enterprise, who has endorsements from President Trump and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt.

Marques was set to hold an election night reception at the Enterprise Country Club.

“Today, Alabamians have the choice to send President Trump and Senator Britt the proven conservative they want fighting alongside them to pass the America First agenda and deliver results for hardworking Alabama families,” Marques said after voting today.

“I’m honored to be considered by the hardworking Alabamians of the Second District to take our Alabama common sense to Washington, and I humbly ask for your vote today.”

The other candidates are Hampton Harris, Christian Horn, Joshua McKee, David Matthews, and James Richardson.

“Abbi and I cast our votes this morning. If you have not voted yet, we humbly ask that you make time to go vote today. Your voice matters,” Harris posted after casting his ballot today.

The winner moves on to the general election in November to face U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, who flipped the seat two years ago when the map was drawn to favor Democrats.

The unusual late-summer congressional race came after the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to switch to a district map favored by Republicans.

The GOP-led Legislature nullified the results of the May 19 primary and ordered the special primary.

There will be no runoff. The candidate receiving the most votes today will be the nominee, even if he receives less than a majority.

Turnout was expected to be low today, after only 23% of registered voters showed up for the May primary and only 11% voted in the runoff in June.

One factor to watch Tuesday was whether Democrats would vote in the special GOP primary, which was open to all voters, in an effort to nominate a weaker opponent for Figures.

Former Democratic vice chair Tabitha Isner urged party members to do that last month.